Puttin' Up Preserves Party

September weekend

Jack following in Daddy's footsteps, making charcuterie boards to sell at my preserves party.


Making Concord grape jam with grapes from our friends' vines. That smell! Heady, foxy, tangy delight.

Soccer game! Jack is on the same team again this fall, the Wasps/Red Devils. We love his coach Dawit and he's having so much fun and learning a lot.


I caught them listening to an audio book just like this. I love how they love each other.

Peach jam

4th Annual Puttin' Up Preserves Party

This year I had too much fun hanging out with all my dear friends to take many pictures. But it was a great night. 

Party favors.

I have made a TON of peach jam this year. Colorado had a bumper crop of peaches this year. I bought two big boxes of seconds from the farmers market, one of Elbertas and one of Cresthavens. The boxes turned into about 40 8-oz. jars of jam. I'm looking forward to pulling down those jars in the dead of winter.

We all went home with fig jam, grape jam, apple jam, peach jam, plum sauce, herb sachets, and coffee. It's so wonderful to have such creative, authentic, and smart friends.

Jamming

This week I've been possessed by some kind of domestic fever. Not the best timing, considering I kept the kids home from school Monday and Tuesday (snow storm! and sort of sick). And then Daniel had the worst food poisoning of his life Wednesday-Thursday. Plus I've been slammed with a million to-dos as the Room Parent in Owen's classroom. I need to remember that the last month of school will always be insane! What a strange week. In the midst of all that, I babied an authentic San Francisco sourdough starter and tried my hand at sourdough bread. So far, two fails. Oh, and I made 5 kinds of jam.

Today we finally put away all the big pots, tubs, colanders, and extra jars and lids. 

Meanwhile, every other room of the house turned into a dumping ground for all the random detritus of life. So we had to deal with that today, too.

Ah, a nice, organized house. I wouldn't go so far as to call it clean, but at least we can see the floor of the guest room now.

Meanwhile, Daniel's off at Home Depot buying stuff to remodel our dungeon-esque laundry room. Never a dull moment!

breakfast of champions

Now that's a breakfast spread, courtesy of my very talented canning friends.

Puttin' Up Preserves

What a fun party! I had to move it inside because of the torrential rain we've been having (we're fine, don't worry!).

Cherry Tomato Tartlets Tatin, waiting for their pastry lids.

  

This year about half of us participated in the preserves swap part of the party. We got to go home with raspberry or blueberry jam, strawberry jam, balsamic fig jam, spicy ginger pickled green beans, dill pickles, and sundried tomatoes with basil. These ladies went all out!

Nicole's box of happy treats.

Party favors.

I love throwing this party! It's such a fun one. I love giving people an excuse to try their hand at canning or show off their expertise. And then we all get to go home and enjoy the fruit of everyone's labors. Mmm. I think I'll go have some more sundried tomatoes right now....

jam

things I love about making jam:

fruit, fruit, and more fruit

something fun to do in the kitchen that doesn't involve butter

bright syrupy steam filling the house

right brain and left brain, art and science

a completed project (delight of mothers everywhere)

the pops and clinks of sealing jars

providing for my family

jewel-toned jars full and waiting, like a winter promise

sticky back and aching feet worth it

hot malty tea and a currant scone slathered with fresh homemade jam

what was empty is now full

blueberry and raspberry